Performance, custom & powersports
Books and taxes for powersports dealers.
New unit sales, service and parts department work, extended service contract commissions, and the floor plan interest a manufacturer partly reimburses. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
September made $25,000. The floor plan assistance Polaris pays back on interest is booked as its own credit, not lost inside the flooring cost.
- Unit sale, SquareNew unit sales
- Service contract commissionExtended service contracts
- Polaris floor plan assistanceFloor plan reimbursement
- Sheffield Financial interestFloor plan interest
- Parts Unlimited invoiceParts and accessories
Why your books are different
A powersports dealer's books go wrong in the same handful of spots.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is units financed on a flooring line, demo machines that get sold used, service contract commissions, and trade-ins. When the books do not know the difference, margin on a sold unit is a guess.
-
1
Manufacturer floor plan assistance gets missed
Some manufacturers reimburse a dealer a portion of floor plan interest on their units. If that reimbursement is not tracked apart from the interest itself, it either gets missed entirely or muddies what the flooring line really costs you.
What we doBooks floor plan interest and any manufacturer assistance as separate lines, so the real net cost of carrying inventory is visible. -
2
A demo unit sold used gets treated like new
A machine used for demo rides all season gets sold at a discount as used inventory. Booked at the same cost as an unsold new unit, the sale looks like a loss instead of a normal demo write-down.
What we doTracks demo units on their own line so the eventual sale reflects real demo wear, not a phantom loss on new inventory. -
3
A service contract commission gets counted as the full price
A dealer sells an extended service contract underwritten by a third party and earns a commission, but the paperwork shows the full contract price. Booked as full revenue, sales look bigger than what actually landed in the dealer's account.
What we doBooks only the commission the dealer actually keeps as income, not the full face value of the contract. -
4
A phone-quoted trade-in rarely matches what shows up
A trade value quoted over the phone for a used ATV or UTV is based on the model and year alone. By the time the machine arrives, its actual hours, tire wear, and condition are worth something different, but the deal often still books at the number first quoted.
What we doAdjusts the trade-in's booked value once the unit is actually inspected, so the resale math reflects the machine you took in, not the one quoted over the phone. -
5
Parts, service, and sales blur into one number
A dealer selling units, running a service bay, and stocking a parts counter cannot tell which department is carrying the business if all three land in one deposit line.
What we doKeeps unit sales, service labor, and parts counter sales in separate categories so each department's margin is visible.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a powersports dealer.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- New unit salesPolaris, Can-Am, Yamaha, and Kawasaki units sold at list or financed.
- Used and demo unit salesTrade-ins and season demo units resold.
- Service department laborRepairs and maintenance, kept apart from parts and unit sales.
- Parts counter salesWalk-in and online parts sales not tied to a service ticket.
- Extended service contractsOnly the commission the dealer keeps, not the full contract price.
- Floor plan reimbursementManufacturer assistance on flooring interest, tracked apart from the interest itself.
Money out
- Service tech wagesKept apart so you can see labor against the work it paid for.
- Unit inventoryNew units purchased from manufacturers, carried on the flooring line.
- Parts and accessoriesStock from Parts Unlimited and manufacturer parts programs.
- Floor plan interestWhat the flooring lender charges to carry lot inventory.
- Lot rent and utilitiesThe showroom, service bays, and outdoor display space.
- Marketing and lead feesGoogle ads, local shows, and manufacturer co-op advertising.
- Card and financing feesWhat the processor or lender kept before you got paid.
- Freight on inventoryShipping and prep costs on new units.
What we watch for you
- Floor plan net cost
Interest minus manufacturer assistance. The real cost of carrying inventory, not just the sticker interest rate.
- Department margin split
Unit sales, service, and parts each have different margins. Worth knowing which one is actually carrying the lot.
- Trade-in accuracy
What trade-ins were valued at against what they actually resold for, so future trade-ins get priced right.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things powersports dealers ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
As its own credit against your floor plan interest, so you can see the real net cost of carrying inventory, not just the sticker rate.
Just the commission you actually keep. The rest of the contract price belongs to the company underwriting it, not to the dealership's sales.
As their own line, separate from new unsold inventory, so the discount you sell them at reads as normal demo wear instead of a loss.
The tax side
The tax side of a powersports dealer.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and what counts as revenue. Service contract commissions treated as full sales, floor plan interest that hides manufacturer assistance, and a set-aside nobody started until April.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Shop and service equipmentLifts, diagnostic tools, and service equipment can usually be written off the year you buy them, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Unit and parts inventoryUnits and parts held for sale are inventory, not an expense the day they are bought. What actually sold during the month is what counts.
- Service techs and worker classificationA technician who uses the shop's tools and hours is usually an employee, even if paid flat rate. Getting that wrong gets expensive, so Gus asks before it becomes a habit.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions powersports dealers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Diagnostic and service equipment
- Lift and alignment tools
- Demo unit fuel and maintenance
- Freight on new units
- Manufacturer co-op advertising costs
- Google local ads
- Shop rags and cleaners
- Uniforms with your logo
- Dealer bonding and licensing fees
- Liability insurance
- Lot lighting and security
- Waste oil and battery disposal fees
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A powersports dealer's year, kept every month.
Riding season and hunting season both bring their own rush. Your taxes come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, floor plan reimbursements from the prior year are reconciled, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring and summer unit sales changed the number more than expected.
- October
Before winter lot planning
Before the hunting season rush winds down, Gus looks at floor-planned inventory to move and anything worth doing before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for powersports dealers. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions powersports dealers ask first.
How does Gus handle manufacturer floor plan assistance?
He books it as its own credit against your floor plan interest, separate from the interest charge itself, so the real net cost of carrying inventory is visible.
Do extended service contract commissions count as full revenue?
No. Gus books only the commission the dealership actually keeps, not the full contract price, since the rest belongs to the company underwriting the contract.
How are trade-ins valued if we quote a price over the phone?
Gus adjusts the booked value once the machine is actually inspected on the lot, so hours, tires, and condition are reflected, not just the number quoted before it ever showed up.
Can Gus keep unit sales, service, and parts separate?
Yes. Each department gets its own category so you can see which one is actually carrying the dealership.
Do I write off my unit inventory when I buy it?
No. Units held for sale are inventory. What actually sold during the month is what shows up on the return, not what you ordered.
My books are behind after a busy season. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever